Fender skirt mounting



Nov. 5, 1940.

G. W. SCHATZMAN FENDER SKIRT MOUNTING Filed June 30, 1938 Patented Nov.5., 1940 UNEED: STA

FENDER. SKIRT MOUNTING Michigan Application June 30, 1938, serial No,216,645

4 Claims. (Cl. 292-256) This invention relates to ornamental fenderskirts, and more particularly tov a novel fender skirt mounting meansfor detachably securing the ornamental fender skirt on a vehicle fender.

In designing ornamental fender skirts or shields of the type which areadapted to cover the usual wheel access opening in a vehicle fender, itis important that the means which is employed to secure the fender skirtin desired position be simple and quick to operate both in the assemblyof the fender skirt on the vehicle fender and in removing it therefrom.It must also possess the desired degree of ruggedness when in useand besubstantially free from vibration and noise.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel ornamental fenderskirt and fender skirt mounting which possesses the above highlydesirable characteristics.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved fenderskirt and fender skirt mounting which is economical tc manufacture andwhich is rugged and reliable in use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide novel means forsupporting the fender skirt r in desired position over the usual wheelaccess opening in a vehicle `fender and for urging the fender skirtupwardly in the plane of the fender opening to maintain the fender skirtin desired tight cooperating engagement with the fender.

Another and still further object of this invention is to provide a novelform of clamping bracket and adjustable clamping strap for detachablysecuring a fender skirt to a vehicle fender.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my inventionare set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My inventionitself, however, both as to its organization and manner of construction,together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best beunderstood by reference to the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a vehicle F fender, fenderskirt, and mounting means therefor;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevational View of theclamping bracket and clamping strap employed to detachably secure onecorner of the fender skirt to the vehicle fender; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line III-III ofFigure 2.

In Figure 1 of the drawing, I have illustrated a fender skirt I0constructed in accordance with the teachings of thev present inventionassembled on a vehicle fender II, such for example, as the rear fenderof an automobile. While the fender II has not been illustrated indetail, it is shown as having a downwardly extending outer side wall 5portion I2 which isprovided with the usual wheel access opening I3. Theornamental fender skirt IIJ is disposed over the opening I3 in such amanner as to substantially close the opening and to harmonize with theouter side wall portion I2 10 of the fender I I. The outer surface ofthe fender skirt I0 may, of course, be substantially smooth, asillustrated in the drawing, or it may assume any other desiredconfiguration for the purpose of ornamentation.

As is shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outer marginal edge of the fender IIwhich defines the opening I3 is inturned as at I4, while the outermarginal edges which deiine the base of the fender II are inturned as atI5. As is well known 'y to those skilled in the art, fenders of the typewhich are now commonly employed are generally provided with theseinturned edge portions to increase the rigidity of the fender. As willpresently be explained, advantage is taken of this feature to assembleand secure the ornamental fender skirt over the fender opening.

The fender skirt I0 includes a principal body portion or panel I6 whichextends entirely across This panel portion I6 30 the wheel opening I3.terminates in a substantially straight lower edge I7, which is bent atsubstantially a right angle to the panel portion I6 and extendsrearwardly, as is clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawing.

'Ihe curved edge portion I8 of the panel I6 of 35 fender skirt I0 isformed by bending a portion of the material of the fender skirtrearwardly to form an inturned flange I9 which is preferablycomplementary to the inturned flange I4 of the fender Il.

In order to prevent rattling or other noises resulting from a directmetal-to-metal contact, a cushioning strip 20 formed of some suitablecushioning material such as rubber is secured to the inturned flange I9of the fender skirt I0 in any 45 cludes means for vertically supportingthe fender 55 skirt and also additional means for restricting lateralmovement of the fender skirt with respect to the vehicle fender atpoints thereon remote from the vertical supporting means. Secured to oneof the lower corners of the fender skirt I is a hook-shaped member 22which includes a base portion 23 formed to be seated on the inturnedflange I9 of the fender skirt I0. The base 23 of the -hook member 22 issecured in any suitable manner to the inturned flange I9, such as byrivets 24, the base 23 preferably being disposed on the inner side ofthe inturned flange I9 with the principal body part of the hook member22 extending through a suitable aperture in the flange I9. A hookengaging plate 25 is secured to the inner face of the inturned flange I4of fender II in any suitable manner, such as by rivets 25, both theplate 25 and the inturned flange I4 being suitably slotted for thereception of the hookshaped member 22.

At the opposite end of the fender skirt I0 anadjustable clamping strapis provided which is arranged to engage a step-shaped clamping bracket28 mounted on the fender II. The particular form of the clamping strap2l and of the step-shaped clamping bracket 28 is illustrated in detailin Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing.

The step-shaped clamping bracket 28 includes upper and lower wings orbase portions 29 and ,30 which are arranged to be seated on the inturnedilange I4 of the fender II and be secured thereto, such as by rivets 3I.The step-shaped portion of the member 28 includes an upstanding orsubstantially vertically disposed portion 32 and a substantiallyhorizontally disposed portion 33. The rear edge of the substantiallyhorizontally disposed portion 33 is upturned, as at 34 to provide asuitable lip to prevent the clamping strap 2l from becoming disengagedtherewith when disposed in mounted position.

The clamping strap 21 is adjustably mounted on the fender skirt I8 bymeans of a clampingbolt 35, and is arrangedto engage the horizontalportion 33 of the step-shaped bracket member 28. `The clamping strap 21is preferably provided with a reinforcing rib 38 which provides thenecessary rigidity to the strap to render it eiTective in the assembly.The upper part of the strap 2T is bent rearwardly as at 3l and thendownwardly as at 38 to extend over and behind the upturned lip 34 of thestep-shaped clamping bracket 28. The lower end of the clamping strap 2lis turned inwardly, as at 39, and is suitably apertured to permit thethreaded shank of the bolt 35 to pass therethrough. A bolt engagingplate 48 is preferably welded on the inturned portion 38 and threadedfor complementary engagement with the threaded shankof the clamping bolt35. v

To provide a suitable support for the clamping bolt 35 a relativelyshort angle iron 4I is secured to the inturned base flange Il of thefender skirt I0 in any suitable manner such as by spot welding. Theangle iron 4I is positioned so that onev face of the angle iron isseated on the inturned base flange I'I while the other face of the angleiron 4I is seated against the rear face of the panel I6 of the fenderskirt Ill. The inturned base edge I'I of the fender skirt I0 and thepor` the base flange I'I and the angle iron 4I to retain the samethereon.

From the above description, it will at once be apparent that after thehook member 22 has been hooked through the hook engaging plate 25 andthe clamping strap 2l hooked over the upstanding lip 34 of thehorizontal portion 33 of the step-shaped clamping bracket 28, theclamping bolt 35 may be tightened to pull the fender skirt upwardly intotight engagement with the vehicle fender II. Some means, however, mustbe provided to restrict lateral movement of the top of the fender skirtI0 with respect to the fender II since the means above describedprovides primarily a vertical support for the fender skirt and limitslateral movement of the fender skirt only at the lower corners thereof.One suitable form and means for limiting lateral movement of the upperpart of fender skirt I0 has been illustrated in Figure 1. Moreparticularly, a pair of plates 44 4 having longitudinally depressedrecesses therein, such as may be formed by a central pressed up portion45 of the plate 44 upwardly, are secured to the inturned flange I4 inany suitable manner, such as by rivets 46. The flange I4 of the fender II is provided with longitudinal slots immediately under the recessesprovided by the pressed up portions 45 of the plate 44 to permit thepassage therethrough of suitable stop members 4l carried on the fenderskirt I0. The stop members 4l include a base 48 which is secured to theunderside of the inturned flange I9 of the fender skirt I0 in anysuitable manner, such as by rivets 49. I'he recess provided bythepressed up portion 45 of the plate 44 and the longitudinal slot in theinturned flange I4 of the fender vII `are preferably somewhat longerthan the width of the stop member 4l in order that the stop member 4'Imay be moved up into position by a rocking motion of the fender skirtabout the hook member 22. As will at once be apparent to those skilledin the art, the stop members 4l will confine the upper portion of thefender skirt I0 in desired position on the vehicleA fender II.

The manner in which the fender skirt I0 is mounted on the fender II willnow be described. Assuming that the fender skirt I 0 has previously beenremoved from the fender II and it is now desired to replace thesamethereon, the fender skirt I0 is lifted into position adjacent theopening I4 in the fender II and the hook member 22 is hooked through thehook-engaging plate 25 ofI the fender II. During this hookingoperationit will readily be perceived that the opposite corner of thefender skirt I0 must be slightly lower than the lower edge of the fenderII. After the hooking engagement of the hook member 22 has beenmade withthe plate 25, the opposite end of the fender skirt I0 is lifted upwardlyand the stop members or guide pins 41 are guided into their respectiveslots and recesses. The

clamping bolt 35 has, of course, prior to the mounting operation, beenunscrewed to a sullicient extent to permit the turned down end 38 of theclamping strap 2l to pass over the up' standing lipL 34 of thestep-shaped clamping bracket 28, the clamping bracket 28 of course beinghooked in from behind. Thereafter the clamping bolt 35 is tighteneduntil the fender skirt I0 has been moved up into tight and snugengagement with the vehicle fender II. To dismount the fender skirt I0from the fender II,

the above-described operations are carried out in reverse order.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will, ofcourse, be understood that I do not Wish to be limited thereto, sincemany modiiications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by theappended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fender and fender skirt assembly which includes means forrestraining lateral displacement of the fender skirt and means forvertically supporting one end of said fender skirt, said fender havingan obliquely inclined edge in proximity to the opposite end of saidfender skirt: latching mechanism disposed in proximity to said oppositeend of `said fender skirt for pulling the fender engaging edge of saidfender skirt into tight engagement With said fender comprising aclamping strap carried by said fender skirt and mounted thereon forsubstantially vertical adjustment, said strap detachably engaging saidfender adjacent said inclined edge, and means for tightening said strapto pull said fender skirt into tight engagement with said fender, saidtightening means extending down to a point in proximity to the loweredge of said fender skirt thereby to facilitate adjustment thereof.

2. In a fender skirt assembly adapted to Iit onto a fender having aninturned Wheel opening defining edge and a supporting member above saidwheel opening; a latching mechanism comshaped strap, thereby providingmeans for pullj;

ing said fender skirt upwardly toward said supporting member.

3. In a fender shield having an upright panel with a flange on the edgethereof adapted to t against a flange on a fender; a hook having anupright portion extending up past said fender shield ange and havingupper and lower end portions projecting towards the plane of said panelabove and below said fender shield ange, and an upright screw threadedin said lower hook end portion and journaled on the back of said panel.

4. In a fender shield having an upright panel with a flange on the edgethereof adapted to `iit against a flange on a fender; a hook having anupright portion extending up past said fender shield flange and havingupper and lower end portions projecting towards the plane of said panelabove and below said fender shield flange, said upper end portion havinga downwardly projecting terminal lip, and an upright screw threaded insaid lower hook end portion and journaled on the back of said panel.

GEORGE W.SCHATZMAN.

